Fire extinguisher



60! Lil nuum ivlvwvuv.

March 6, 1934.

G. BRAUN FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed May 16, 1931 INVENTOR 652A fi/P/w/v BY ATTORNEY wwlfwz mnmwmfl Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,949,857 FIRE EXTINGUISHER Geza Braun, New York, N. Y., assignor to Paul J. Sartain, Richard C. Schwoerer, both of Philadelphia, Pa., and Richard C. Fassnacht, New York, N. Y.

Application May 16, 1931, Serial No. 537,874 12 Claims. 23-12) This invention relates to fire extinguishers. chloride, chloroform and methylene dichloride It is an object of this invention to produce a to the same test conditions bysubjecting them fire extinguisher which will possess effective fire to 80% fuming sulphuric acid, that is, to the extinguishing properties and will maintain those condition most favorable to the formation of properties under the conditions of use to which phosgene. Under these conditions I found that 6 it may be subjected. carbon tetrachloride gave 90% of the theoretical It is a further object to provide a fire expossible phosgene, and chloroform yielded 25%, tinguisher which can be used easily and conbut methylene dichloride did not yield any phosveniently with complete safetyto the persons gene at all.

0 employing it. I V Methylene dichloride, on the other hand, is It is a further object to provide a fire exnot, in itself, sufiiciently incombustible to be tinguisher which will be non-corrosive to any completely satisfactory as a fire extinguisher.

metal containers or apparatus with which it In accordance with this invention, I utilize the h may come in contact. excellent fire extinguishing properties of the va- Other objects will in part be obvious and will pors of highly chlorinated hydrocarbons such as 70 in part appear hereinafter. carbon tetrachloride while at the same time The drawing illustrates an apparatus with gaining the benefit of the methylene dichloride which this fire extinguisher may conveniently without the disadvantages of either. be employed, in which Figure 1 is a sideeleva- It has been discovered that certain compounds,

tion partly in section f the apparatus, and Figwhen added to carbon tetrachloride or other 75 ure 2 is an end view, and Figure'3 is a section highly halogenated hydrocarbon, destroy the on the, line 33 of Figure 1. r corrosive character of the liquid and react with Among thelavailable fi e ex in uish ng liquids, toxic gases to destroy their harmful character. the polychlori'nated products of methane and Of the compounds possessing this property, I

ethane are the most important. The higher have discovered that certain of them comprising the chlorine content in these compounds, the the unsaturated hydro-aromatic compounds poslower the infiammability, which is desirable in sess properties which seem to place them in a regard to the use of a compound'as a fire ex class by themselves in that they are able to unite tinguishing liquid. For this reason carbon tetradirectly and instantly with hydrochloric acid as 30 chloride and pentachloroethane possess very de- Well as with chlorine and phosgene. By unsirable characteristics. vsaturated hydro-aromatic compounds I refer to With the increase in chlorine content, howaromatic compounds in which at least one, but ever, there is an increase in the reactivity o not all, of the double bonds has been broken by thechlorine-atoms, which means that the higher hydrogenation such as cyclopentene, cyclo- N,

5 chlorinated products are more easily decomposed hexene, pinene, dipentene etc, I have found parand are more corrosive to metals thanthe qmticularly desirable results, however, in the use of pounds with lower chlorine conten o pinene,

7 se c mpc ndsfmorover, under'the condi- Some of these compounds having quite desirtions of s r apt oform various poisonous able properties, have relatively high boiling 40 Or Oth rw e Objectionable gases Suc a ph S- point. Under certain circumstances, therefore, gene, hydrochloric acid and chlorine. it may be found desirable to add to the principal It is n O ject of this invention to DI'OVidB a halogenated hydrocarbon some other high boilfire extinguisher which can be kept in contact .ing point halogenated hydrocarbon to assistin with metal containers or apparatus for long pethe vaporization of the hydro-aromatic com- 5 riods of time without corrosion so that the compound and to suppress its infiammability, for ex- 1 pound and the apparatus will; at all times, be arnpla where one to three percent of pinene is ready for instant 115er employed by volume, it may be desirable also It is a further obj ct o p ovide a c pound toaddone to three percent of hexachlorethane. in which the hazard to the fire fighters from the These substances, moreover, possess the prop- 'formation of toxic gases is eliminated. erty of remaining in solution in halogenated hy- In accordance with my experiments, I have drocarbons without destructive interaction. determined that the less highly chlorinated hy- Moreover, these compounds are very effective to dro'carbons possess little, if any, liability to form make the solution non-corrosive to metals, so

phosgene. V 7 that the resultant solution may be kept for long For example, I have subjected carbon tetraperiods of time even in direct contact with metal .44 e i i at V comeosmoms. tress Reference e. t 8 @363 m Room containers and apparatus without destroying the form a water-tight joint therewith. To this end useful qualities of the compound and without the upper end of the tube 16 may be slightly enattacking the container. larged to provide a plunger sliding within the tube Other compounds are useful in destroying the 18 if desired.

poisonous character of phosgene, hydrochloric Mounted upon the lower end of the tube 18 and 80 acid and chlorineg Among; 'the se 'f the 1 organic held :between flanges 20 and 2111s a plunger 22. nitrogen. bases including the amines are 'partic- Thefcon'tainer iszintendeditotcontainthe main ularly desirable because of the readiness fire eggtinguishing liquid comprising, for examcompleteness with which they attack even small ple, the carbon tetrachloride and methylene di- 10 traces of the toxic gases. It has also been foundiichloride with the pinene. This liquid is generally 85 that certain alcohols, such as methyl or ethyl ale indicatedjby the numeral 23. The tube 13 is closed cohol, assist in the elimination of phosge'nei I at the topand comprises a second liquid container therefore, in some instances, :may; oare to use; adapted *tqcontainthe organic nitrogen base them as a solvent for thetorganicwnitrpgen,bases. 1 either alone or;;in :lcohol solution. This liquid It is not feasible, however, togattempt to dis:.*,iss'indicatediimthe drawing by the numeral 25. 90 solve these compounds in the halogenated hy- The container. .10' is provided with a filling drocarbon because interaction occurs vdirectly be; ,open ingeztanqfltne tube 13 is provided with 2.

tween the two, resulting in the'dstruction or the filling opening 26 while the tube 18 carries at its amine. Moreover, the amines themselves i'are sin u er'.;end"a, handle 27,

eener .q i ep r s v t0 als SO that t With the foregoing construction it will be un- 95 mine be d 'sp f h e nated hydroce derstood that when-it is desired to use the device, bon; it not only attacksthe metal container, but the container 10 may be grasped ino'ne handand it also quicklyloses thesafety which the amine the tube '-18 pushedlinby means of the hand1e'2'7,

' was d si ned tofconferF In" accordance with this and the whole directed toward' the b'ase iof the '25 L nVenti D', thefire iig ting compound is devi d nemesw This results ina projectionuponthe 100 to pos e t non-corrosive 1and safe arac fire of proportionate quantities-of theliquid 23 'out "which thel hydro aromatic compound is capable of" the-opening" 15 I and of the liquid out of the f impa d;' addit th r t 'd si 'noz'zle'28', and it will be clearthat'at' all'times' the t ex e uar may be emp ed jsm i e prepertiens of these two liquids projected will be a from the use of the org anic' nitrogen base withdetermined by the relative areas ofcrosssections "E05 out the'difliculties hereinbefore referred to. i of-thetube-1-8*aiid of the container 10. 'It will be ln malsine y. comp und, the e P also clear that there is no danger of admixture of "ab yje p oygaf's l t dn t arb n t tra th'eorganicbase with-the chlorinated-hydrocarm dihlolidei f m ew Pthe bon within the receptacle andon this account" all V et Pr ti f E Q-P S bQ tetrachloride dangefof oo rrosion of t e-metal r thereceptacle 1 10 and 20 to le -parts f methylene dichloride' in is avoided ;g "which mixtilr' i d l to 3 P r wiu-ereeuree be understood that the tube. 18

pinene commensureteiquantity o e willjb chosen frorria metalwlriichis' immune to fc q o a d thiscompbsitidn in itself vferms 'theattack or the solutionscontained within-itjf 4Q eh xee11 nt-ahdsare fire extinguisher, which i mayberqdsimblgto v t a Simul" 1 {m y1 e e o e'f r o time, taneously to close' the nozzle 28 arid-the opening even inmet'arcontainers. "I PIEfEIabIYPhOWBVBY, 15 when the extinguisher is not in usefb'ut this ;o0mbine*with-the for ine omp und; at j ,is-an obvious-expedient whichis'notdeemed'hectimebf projection upon the' fire a substance e say-f l t tg 7 w ch w "r still o readily w thetoxic "since certain changes may-bemadein carrying 1'20 s l- 3 e c :n'itrogen bases, for out the -above-process and in the product, and xe g t e sip py ami est bu la 'modifications-effected in the apparatus for pret- -'amylamines andithe diethyl a'ndtriethyl amines m h itherecf :w d departing *or'amyline or Other-b21585 such as'rpyridinwquim from the" scope-of the invention/1t 'is 'intehded 4 in the above" de's 'orip- "T25 olene or piperidine. In or'der to project these "m .a tm t contained fcompounds upon' the fireiiinr roperproportions tign orvshown in the accombamin'g'dmwmgshafl liianql i mi r h came use, ibefinterpreted as illustrativejan'd-not in a li initing ploy the apparatushereinillustratedpor any'other 11 2 suitebleapparawsi Y "rt ieaisete be'understood that thereiibwih In --thedrawing-the numeral 10 designates a ciaim$ ariintended t ig ri' (flit-he gal-diam) "cylindricalcontamer having'cfaps': 11 and :12 added and specific 'features of the invention hereinfieat its respective ends. These caps arepreferably threaded-onto the container 10 as shown'at 13 Saharan/d all Statements ofthefscqpel tmg;

the 14. The tea e112 is provided with an'outvent19nWh1ch astarma'tter m l standing nose having 'a central opening 15 which basglqdtgsfiau m I. serve s asa nozzle'for the apparatus. Centrally Havmg d?? rem t it? f disposed within the container 10 is a tube 16 Sup- 3 a deslre'lto $91113? by Letters Patent portedin'itscentral"position'by a'spider 1'7 havv the-arms, l'l extending to the'outer walls 'of the Il -1 Ifire m uls me omm ne: om r i "-containeri This tube' has its lower'endcontractmixture of melthylenet i fi'xM G-* F HO edtoprovide acentral nozzle 28 concentricwith tetrachloride having mixed-therewith Sufi'mient but not closingthe opening 15. The termination quantity of unsaturated hydro'a'mmaficilpom' ofthe nozzle'28 may conveniently be flush'with (Pound tolendelf it P r T theopening l5- if desired, to -minimize the 'liabilfl72f'Awfi1'elextmgulshlng ompound compris ng ofany-admbiture r materials between the a mixiure'of fin-ethylene en :03 0 14 interior or the container menu the interior of tetmchleride h n m d er wi fr ml to I thet be:1 ;::r q; A 1. 3%1of;an,unsaturated hydro-aromaticcompound.

i slidably disposed upon'the tube 16 and slidin A fire extinguishing compound comprising :within an opening in thelcapllis atub e:18 which a mixture of methyl n dichloride q is adap gel wsq iponzthe tubei lfi tand tetrachloride havingjfrom 1to'3 of pinenei" 1'50 4. A fire extinguishing compound comprising a mixture of methylene dichloride and carbon tetrachloride having pinene dissolved therein to render it non-corrosive.

5. A fire extinguishing compound including a mixture of 90 to parts of carbon tetrach'i-Jride and 10 to 30 parts of methylene dichioride and 1 to 3% of pinene.

6. The method of extinguishing a fire which comprises projecting upon the fire a polychlorinated hydrocarbon and mixing therewith at the time of projection, an amine.

7. The method of extinguishing a fire which comprises projecting upon the fire a polychlorinated hydrocarbon and mixing therewith at the time of projection, an organic nitrogen base.

8. The method of extinguishing a fire which comprises projecting upon the fire a polychlorinated hydrocarbon and mixing therewith at the time of projection, an amine dissolved in an alcohol.

9. The method of extinguishing a fire which comprises projecting upon the fire a polychlorinated hydrocarbon and mixing therewith at the time of projection, an organic nitrogen base dissolved in an alcohol.

10. The method of extinguishing a fire which comprises projecting upon the fire a polyhalogenated hydrocarbon mixed with pinene and simultaneously therewith projecting an amine in predetermined proportions.

11. A fire extinguishing compound comprising a mixture of methylene dichloride and carbon tetrachloride with a small percentage of pinene.

12. A fire extinguishing package containing separate compartments and enclosing separate substances adapted to be projected simultaneously upon the fire, one of said substances comprising polyhalogenated hydrocarbons and pinene and the other of said substances including an amine.

GEZA BRAUN. 

